Mindreading and Subways

Notes:Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

1. Chapter 1

I’m walking on sunshine, ooooh. I’m walking on sunshine! Man, wouldn’t that be awesome? Really walking on sunshine? Then it would be like flying and everyone would be soaring above the ground at all times.

The mental image was exhilarating. I always wanted to fly. Fly high above the skies and look down on humanity. Freedom. Freedom to do whatever you want, whenever. I smiled and looked around to find someone to share my happiness with.

I was seated by a window in the almost empty subway. I had my earbuds in my ears and my iPod was fully functioning, finally. I was humming quietly and singing the lyrics in my mind, bopping my head slightly to the rhythm.

I stared at the ceiling, trying hard to see some sort of pattern. If you could see different shapes in the clouds why couldn’t you do the same with the ceiling?

These were the questions that bothered me.

I stared long and hard at the white motionless surface, the questions would be answered.

I was coming home from work and it was Friday. At last. The week had been exhausting and I couldn’t wait for the long awaited weekend to start.

My wide smile was plastered across my face and I couldn’t remove it from my features. I wouldn’t either. Why should I? Happy is good. And you know what they say. When you smile to the world, the world smiles right back at you.

I leaned back in my seat and glanced around in the subway, still smiling like a maniac.

There was an old lady sitting a couple of seats to the right from me. She was looking at me intently, her eyes a bit wide. I must have mouthed the lyrics without even knowing it. I decided to have little fun with the poor lady and chuckled to myself. The lady was still staring at me but she suddenly seemed curious.

I turned my whole face towards her and gave her my biggest grin. The lady blinked and quickly shifted her intense gaze. I snickered, contemplating my next move.

Still looking at the lady I started singing the lyrics to “Pretty Woman” loud.

Pretty woman, walking down the street

Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet

Pretty woman

I can’t believe you, you’re not the truth

No one can look as good as you

Mercy.

I was still staring at the woman when she faced me again and I gave her a very indiscrete and suggestive wink. The woman looked terrified and I was struggling with my laughter. This was priceless. I gave her another wide grin before she swiftly looked in the other direction, flustered.

I shook my head in amusement. People were so easily embarrassed.

As I thought this I heard a soft chuckle from my left. I snapped my head in the direction were I heard the muffled laughter. There was a young lad sitting in the corner with ruffled bronze hair and a mischievous grin plastered on his face. He was hiding a smile and staring straight ahead at… nothing really.

Covering for his giggling most likely.

His skin was inhumanly pale and the boy was simply..beautiful.

He snapped his head in my direction and looked me straight in the eyes. His eyes were of the strangest color. An extremely light honey color, almost ocher. His deep eyes stared at me intently, never even blinking. His gaze was so intense, I felt like he was almost seeing right through me. Like he was penetrating me with his mere eyes, like he was staring directly at my soul.

I blinked and glanced at his whole exquisite face. He looked confused. As soon as I thought the thought he straightened up his whole body, turning away from me.

That was strange.

I recalled that he did the same when I thought he was beautiful. It was almost like he was reading my mind. Like that guy in that book. It wasn’t possible though.

Pff. Bullcrap.

Hey, can you hear me? , I thought rather loud and feeling a bit stupid.

I glanced at the bronze-haired boy but I couldn’t see any reaction from him. I frowned and crossed my arms. As I did this I could swear that I saw from the corner of my eye, the boy’s mouth twitch.

I chuckled and tried again.

Hey, Goldie Locks. Well, technically you’re not blond but who cares. I know you can hear me.

I smiled as his turned his whole face away from me, probably to cover up the amusement.

It was funny and he knew it. And he was so busted.

Dude, you’re busted. Give it up, give it up right now. I won’t tell. I swear. I rock at keeping secrets. You can ask anyone, they’ll tell you and-

He sighed, interrupting my thoughts and turned to face me again.

His lips were tight but his eyes were glistening. Exited and anxious? Well, this guy was just weird.

He chuckled softly and raked his hand through his messy auburn hair, he looked away seeming to be deep in thought. Probably contemplating whether or not to share his uncanny ability.

I’m trustworthy, I mused in my head.

The pale-faced man-boy stiffened as I thought this. I did the same, anticipating the boy’s answer.

He bowed his head, staring at his shoes as if they now truly held his interest. He was staring with such intensity; it couldn’t have been just false pretense. I knitted my brows together in confusion. What was interesting about shoes? He had black ones, so? Again with the weirdness.

The corners of his mouth turned upwards and the last ounce of my patience just disappeared.

Would you say something, do something. Just something for god sake!

I almost yelled this and he leaned back in his seat, not looking bothered at all. His face was revealing no emotion as he stared at me blankly, almost urging me to take some sort of action.

So you read minds, huh?, I thought with a playful tone, smirking.

He looked down at his shoes again. Seriously, did he have a foot fetish or something? And preferred his own feet but always needed them covered with shoes? Maybe he thought the subway was the perfect spot for ogling own feet while having them covered without anyone noticing. I shook my head in amusement as I imagined the things this boy probably could do with feet. His feet.

I glanced at him again and caught him smiling as well, amusement playing over his features.

He looked back up at me through his lashes and gave me a weak nod. My breath hitched as my eyes met his gleaming topaz eyes.

His eyes were soft and the vulnerability that he was carefully trying to hide, leaked though his eyes for a second. But I saw it and I smirked feeling smug.

Hmm, so which thought were you answering anyway? The mindreading or the foot fetish with shoes?

He gave the whole subway a booming laugh to hear, throwing his head back in hysterics almost. His hair, that seemed to always be in perfect disarray, was thrown back and forth as he continued laughing at me. I would have been annoyed if I wasn’t mesmerized by the odd boy.

He abruptly stopped his manic laughter and mouthed something.

“The latter” he mouthed and smiled a crooked smile that made my breathing stop. I quickly regained my control and focused at the mysterious bronze-haired boy. He was looking at me quizzically, which was understandable. He probably noticed my little glitch. But there also seemed to be another emotion in his deep topaz eyes. He quickly put his no-emotion mask on and I mimicked him.

I see, I thought to him while narrowing my eyes.

I looked at his eyes once more, studying them. They were such a rare color. I had never seen it before. Honey. They were light and his eyes were bright, blinding even, reminding me of sunshine.

I grinned as I thought of this. He must have heard my other internal conversations.

Hey, don’t you think walking on sunshine literally would be beyond awesome? Just think about it, flying. That’s my biggest goal in this world. And not those crappy airplanes. I want the real deal. Wings and what not…

He let out another booming laugh as I trailed off. He was making fun of me and I was being serious!

I scowled at him and crossed my arms like I always did when I got mad.

I want to fly, is that wrong maybe?

He had stopped laughing and shook his head, conveying a no. He was staring at me, trying to apologize.

It’s fine. It’s stupid anyways, I thought faintly disappointed. No one ever got this when I told them. I just wanted to feel utterly free from everything. All commitments, promises and all rules would avoided like the plauge they were. I had imagined flying like that. The wind blowing in your hair, the people below you sensing nothing out of the ordinary and the choice. The freedom.

A weak smile appeared on my face and I glanced down at my hands, not wanting to see his reaction to my odd nature.

He grunted, urging me to look at him. I hesitated but glanced up at him eventually.

His now wide ocher eyes were glowing with excitement, enthusiasm, longing, bliss and last but not least understanding. I didn’t fully comprehend how he was able to feel all of those emotions at once but for the first time in my life; I didn’t care.

I didn’t need to utter a word and neither did he. I understood and so did he. Understanding was something I never got from anyone before and I was to treasure this moment for the rest of my life. His bright eyes were sparkling with such intensity, it almost made my unbreakable stare falter but I couldn’t. He had the strangest type of grip on me. I could not look away. His eyes were telling me what no words could ever tell.

His eyes softened a bit and I could see from his eyes that he was smiling. I faintly remembered getting lost in his mesmeric eyes before I recalled I had to get off the subway.

I abruptly ended our mutual stare, swiftly rising from my seat.

As I got of the subway I suddenly felt colder and although the train station was packed, alone. The disappointment was heavy and I dragged myself along at my best ability before I felt it again.

The familiarity and warmth. It was approaching me and soon enough, it was right behind me.

I turned to face the mysterious source of goodness that was radiating and smiled widely at my findings.

He stood there as beautiful and pale and perfect as he was a few minutes ago, smiling happily at me.

“Edward” he said simply, his beautiful velvety voice laced with happiness as he towered over me beaming.